


Just How Do We Begin?

by shockandlock



Series: Trials of Fatherhood [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Father-Daughter Relationship, Fatherhood, Female!Byleth, Gen, Mercenaries, dad jeralt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 13:54:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20779679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shockandlock/pseuds/shockandlock
Summary: Jeralt ponders his new life as a father, and his mercenaries question if he is really prepared to live the life he has set up for Byleth.





	Just How Do We Begin?

**Author's Note:**

> I loved Three Houses, so I felt that it was high time that I actually write something for Fire Emblem. I wanna see more of Jeralt being a dad, so this is probably going to become a series of connected drabbles/one-shots. I already have an idea for another part!

It wasn’t hard to wonder how things would have been different if she was still alive. Grief was never kind. It only made him more aware of the beat of his long-lived heart, like the echo of a hollow drum. 

(Sometimes he would press Byleth close to his heart, pretending that it was her heart instead.)

He still missed Byleth’s mother dearly. It was hard raising a child on his own, but at the same time, he would admit that some good came from it.

If they had stayed at the monastery, he may have never been able to spend time with his child the way he wanted. Whatever Rhea had done to Byleth, they were far from it— safe from it now. He swore on his life that he would raise Byleth the way his wife would have wanted, the way he wanted, and certainly not how Rhea wanted. 

There was part of his brain that knew this was wrong. There was no place for a child in the life of a traveling mercenary. He knew next to nothing about taking care of such a young child. Finances weren’t exactly secure either, but Jeralt Eisner wasn’t the type of man to believe in regrets, and any potential doubts in his mind were overpowered by the certainty in his heart— the heart that had melted when he held Byleth for the first time.

This was his child and he would take care of her.

“You’re lucky, boss,” one of his mercenaries, Erdren, commented when they were first starting out. “Byleth doesn’t really seem fussy at all. I remember my baby sis would cry all the time.”

“Idiot,” Alysha interrupted, walking up alongside them. She elbowed him and he almost dropped his canteen. “How is he supposed to know when she’s hungry or shit like that?”

Jeralt adjusted the makeshift baby sling to get a better hold on Byleth. “I think I’ll trust Alysha’s judgement, Erdren.”

Erdren shrugged. “Well, whatever, boss, but I’m here if you need my help.”

Jeralt didn’t accept his offer.

* * *

A few months later, there was a different story at play. 

It was supposed to be something routine: fending bandits off from the village they had currently taken base in. But maybe their group was still too new and still too careless. One of the bandits had slipped through the cracks and had made his way into the inn where Byleth was supposed to be kept safe.

Erdren later told him that none of them had ever seen Jeralt like that before-- eyes narrow, voice roaring, lance swinging as if cutting the very air itself.

They got Byleth out of there quick. No matter what life Jeralt chose to raise her in, it still didn’t seem right exposing her to that body-- one without a head.

“What is this?” he asked, picking up the journal they had handed him. They had stopped for the night to camp a few days after the incident, and it was hard to make out the words when he was sitting far from the fire. 

“It’s a schedule,” Alysha said, rocking back on her heels. “For Byleth.”

“And why would I need this?”

“‘Cause ya’ need more rest.” She had always been one to be blunt. 

Erdren nodded in agreement. “We know you’re the ‘invincible Blade-Breaker’ and all that, boss, but you can’t go into battle if you’re busy worrying about the kid all the time. So we all agreed to take shifts. Watch over her so she doesn’t get in danger when we’re on an assignment.”

Jeralt stared at the schedule, not really processing any of the information written on the page. He instead looks at his child, who is sitting in his lap, quiet as ever. 

“Just think about it, boss.” They left him to return to the fire and finish their dinner.

He picks Byleth back up and holds her to his chest, humming quietly to himself (something he did when no one else was there to catch him). “What do you think, kid?” he asked, but even if Byleth was old enough to talk, he wasn’t sure if she would even give an answer. 

He smiled to himself. At least for once, he wouldn’t have to change the diapers.  


**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for this fandom, so I really hope this works out! Please leave a comment letting me know what you thought and what you might want to see in the future.


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